Cultural Implosion on the Horizon: Where is the Church?

Even though we see around us a culture that is seemingly in decline, and there is statistical evidence of it, we are still not without hope - Jesus is alive, His truth is powerful, and He will bring a knowledge of His ways through His people, who are devoted to Him.  Here is what Ephesians 2 says:
12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - we all miss the mark; we depart from God's ways and refuse to believe what He has set out in His Word for living a fruitful and satisfying life.  He doesn't give us His principles to stifle us or place us in bondage; no, He has given us His ways and wisdom in order to teach us to live abundantly.   Following what pleases Him leads to life and freedom!   And, if we're living that way, perhaps we can bring others along.

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When a majority or even a plurality of people in a society call right or morally acceptable what God has called wrong, I believe you are on the verge of a cultural implosion. The signs are everywhere, and a new Gallup survey on the moral acceptability of certain behaviors provides yet more evidence of this cultural decline.

Let's go to the 4th chapter of the book of 1st Thessalonians, as the apostle Paul lays out behavior that pleases God:

3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;4that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
According to its report on the poll, Gallup says that, "The American public has become more tolerant on a number of moral issues, including premarital sex, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia. On a list of 19 major moral issues of the day, Americans express levels of moral acceptance that are as high or higher than in the past on 12 of them..."

The 19 issues fall into five groups, ranging from highly acceptable to highly unacceptable. Overall, 11 of the 19 are considered morally acceptable by more than half of Americans.  There's only one of the 19 in the "highly acceptable" category, which is birth control.

Nine of the other 10 issues with majority acceptance can be put into a "largely acceptable" category, as they have smaller majorities considering them morally acceptable and sizable minorities that consider them morally wrong.  I want to zero in on just some of these issues, many of which have as high as almost 7-in-10 Americans who accept them:

Divorce: accepted by 69% of respondents

Sex between and unmarried man and a woman: 67% - 2 out of 3!

Embryonic stem-cell research: 65%

Gambling: 62%

Having a baby outside of marriage: 58%

Gay or lesbian relations: 58% percent consider that practice morally acceptable.

So here is a group of behaviors, that I believe the Bible speaks clearly on, that are considered to be morally acceptable by a majority of the population.  Scripture teaches that God hates divorce - that's the word used in Malachi.  And, there are scores of divorcees that have been through that painful process that can testify to its damaging effects.  Yet, in our culture, almost 7-in-10 deem it to be morally acceptable.  

Pre-marital sex - 2/3 of respondents accept the violation of God's plan for sexual relations. Interestingly enough, only 7% consider adultery to be acceptable.  And only 30% believe teens should be engaging in sex.  But, almost 6-in-10 believe its OK to have a baby outside of marriage, which is not the model set forth in Scripture.

And, almost 6-in-10 accept homosexuality, a practice that is considered sinful.  Based on some commentary I have read, I pose this question - for those who believe that it's OK Scripturally, can you find an example where that behavior is spoken of in a positive sense?

Embryonic stem-cell research, which involves the taking of a human life for a research that is clearly unproven, also has high acceptance levels.

Gambling, which is a matter that has been addressed on this program, is an outgrowth of greed, and involves temporary financial benefit at the expense of other people.  For you to win, others have to lose!  It's an unbiblical shifting of resources that preys on the poor.    

Now, abortion receives neither majority support nor majority disapproval, making it the most contentious issue of the 19 tested. The current split is similar to what Gallup measured last year, but is a more even division than the four prior years when at least half said it was morally wrong. 

Well, it's very tempting to wring our hands, say that our country is in a state of cultural decline, and resign ourselves to the fact that it is happening.  I don't believe that's God's call to each of us individually and certainly not to the church collectively.   In a culture that is attracted to darkness, we have the responsibility to shine the light of Christ.   Not in a condescending way that can be perceived as judgmental, but in a compassionate way that draws people to the love and light of our Savior.

But, we are also called to speak and live the truth in love.   We have to first and foremost make sure we are living in a way that lines up with the Scriptures, demonstrating that the way of truth is the way to life, abundant life in Jesus.  We have to be convinced in our own hearts that His way is best.

The church can be discouraged by the degradation around us, or we can be encouraged by the opportunity to speak powerfully to people who have departed from the way to life.   Even though things seem hopeless, we know that God provides hope through His Son.  We can bring a sense of His hope to a world that is hurtling toward hopelessness.